Zambrano leaves early, Cubs rally late

Pitcher gets MRI on sore back

homers by Ramirez in 9th, Soto in 13th beat Giants 5-2

Geovany Soto is greeted at home plate by jubilant teammates after hitting a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the 13th inning to beat the Giants on Thursday. (Phil Velasquez, Chicago Tribune)

It was bound to be one of those wacky Wrigley Field days when the original Mr. Wacky showed up for work with something already wrong.

And it was.

Carlos Zambrano left early with another injury, but his teammates kept playing and playing.

By the time it was over, Zambrano had gone to the hospital for an MRI on his sore and stiff back, and the Cubs had earned a split in the finale of a wild four-game series against the defending World Series champion Giants, winning 5-2 in 13 innings.

"You had to know with some of the crazy things that have happened that when Z went down, we were going to play 13 or 14," managerMike Quade said.

The Cubs could have lost in nine innings, but Aramis Ramirez sent it to extras with a homer off Giants closer Brian Wilson.

And they could have lost in 13, down by a run with two outs, but Jeff Baker doubled, Darwin Barney singled to tie it again, Starlin Castro was walked and pinch hitter Geovany Soto smacked a three-run homer.

"You never give up," Soto said. "To the end we kept pushing and pushing."

They had to push without Zambrano, who showed up Thursday morning with the back problem, then matched the shortest outing of his career. He was removed in the second inning after a walk, an infield single and his error helped the Giants to a 1-0 lead.

Zambrano's history of back problems adds to the uncertainty of his status, although he threw out the first pitch at the Bandits softball game Thursday night. He left a start early in 2005 with back soreness and avoided the disabled list, but he went on the DL in 2009 after leaving a game with back spasms.

Quade said Zambrano "was a little cranky" when he arrived at the ballpark, but after working with trainers and fitness experts, Quade said Zambrano "thought he could take a shot."

It was a short shot for Zambrano, who left a start earlier this season with a stiff neck caused by watching television in bed. He has been sidelined in the past with elbow pain from too much Internet use and arm cramps from low potassium levels.